Ditching-machine.



P-ATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

J. & o. F. FOSTER. DITGHING MACHINE. AIPLIOATIONFILED JULY 19.11904A Wizneses ANDREW- B. annum co. Pnooumackwnsns. WASHINGTON, n. t:`

UNITED' STATES PATENT onirica'.

JOHN FOSTER AND-CHARLES E. FOSTER,l GUERNSEY, IOWA, ASSIGNORS oF ONE-THIRD To O. A. VICKERY, OFGUERNSEY, IOWA. DlToHlNc-z.,-lvlAol-ilm;`

Pateated sept. 26,1905.

Application filed July 19, 1904. Serial No. 217,183.

To all wlw/11, it may-concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN FosTER and the cutting-blades and conveyer-pockets,andl

to discharge the contents thereof at the top of the ditch being dug.

.Our invention consists -in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows va side elevation of the com- 1 plete machine with the ditching apparatus projectinginto a ditch as in use, and Fig. 2 shows a detail perspective view of a portion of the digger and conveyer.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the machine -..frame is indicated by the numeral 10 and is mountedcllpon wheels 11. At the rear of the frame is a leg 12 of the ditching apparatus, formed of a straight piece of structural metal in the form of an I in crosssection. Mounted in the top` of the leg 12 iis a shaft 13, and the leg is supported by means of the brace-pieces 14, secured to the frame 10 and to the shaft 13.` The legis further supported to stand at an angle inclini'ng downwardly and rearwardly from the machineframe by means of *the braces 15, secured to 'the frame-10 and to the leg 12 below the shaft 13. At the bottomof the leg 12 we have mounted a shaft 16. Fixe-dto the lshaft 13 are two sprocket-wheels 17, and fixed to the shaft 16 are two sprocket-wheels 18. Two sprocket chains 19 are passed around the sprocket-wheels 17 and 18, parallel with each other and spaced apart far enough to pass on opposite sides of the leg 12. The sprocketwheels 17 and 18 are so arranged that the chains 19 will pass along the front portion of .the leg 12 kon opposite sides ofv and close to,

butjslightly in the rear of, the front face of ditch.

' 21 at this point of their travel.

the leg 12 forv purposes hereinafter made clear. These chains provide aflexible traveling support for the'combined cutting-blades and con'- veying-pockets. Each of the combined cuttinga blades and conveying-pockets is composed of a flat plate 20.of a wid th to overlap bothchains 19 and of a length somewhat greater than its width. The forward end of each plate 2O is curved outwardly away from the plate and forwardly in the direction of the line of chains of the plate at 21, and th'eextreme outer edge thereof is formed into cutting-blades 22, with notches 23,between them. 'We have provided a brace-.plate 25, riveted to the outer end portion of each of the parts 21 and also riveted to the body portion of the part 20 to hold the cutting-blades firmly in position. We attach the plates 2O `to vthe chain by means of the blocks 26, which blocks are formed in the li'nlsof the chain adjacent to the forward end of each plate, and each plate is firmly secured to one of the blocks 26 on each of the chains 19 by means of the rivets v27 The said plates 2O and the chains 19 are so arranged with relation to each other and to the le'g 12 that during theupward movement of the chains 19 they will pass on opposite sides of the leg 12, and the plates 2O will vrest against and slide along the front face of the leg 12. In this way the chains are prevented from sagging rearwardly on account of thecutting-lolades being forced against the earth at the end of a The plates 2O are also yso arranged with relation to the curved ends 21 that the rear end of one plate '20l will stand adjacent v scrape along and follow the contour of the forward faces'of the adjacent parts 21, thus cleaning out the pockets formed by the parts In this connection it is to be noted that the sprocket'- wheels 18 at the bottom of the legare of greater diameter than the sprocket-Wheels 17 at the top of thevleg. Hence it follows that if'the rear ends of the plates .2O move to the position shownjat the-top of the legvin, Fig. 1 v

when they pass over thev sprocket-wheel 17 lthey will move tothe position shown at .the

bottom of theV leg when, passing over vthe sprocket-wheels A .'He'ncethe outer portion of the cutting-plates will project beyond the rear ends of the plates 2O when passing'arou'nd 4the sproeketewheels 18, so'that the cutting- -at the front of the leg more of the plates 22 will be exposed where they may engage relatively thicker slices of earth, and each blade as it moves upwardlywill cut off a portion of the'earth at the end of the Vditch until the pocket formed bythe blade 22, the vcurved portion 21,y andthe plate 2O above it is filled with earth.

' We have provided means for driving the conveyer asfollows: The numeral 28 indieatesa shaft mounted in the machine-frame and 'designed to be rotated in any ordinary way. The numeral 29 indicates a shaft mounted in the' machine-frame and in v advance of rthe upper end o f the leg 12, and thesej shafts are'conneetedand driven in'unison by means ofA a belt c onveyer 30, the Linder 'surface of which moves rearwardly and upwardly; as

shown by thearrow in Fig. 1V, directly above the leg 12,andthe advance'chains 19 are driven by means of a belt 31, connecting the pulley32 on the shaft 29 with the pulley 33 on We havelalso provided means asI follows; Thenumeral 34 indicates abra'cket supported upon thepart of the leg 12`above the earth-level. This bracket supports a belt 'conveyor 35, which projects laterallyE and upwardly and is Vdriven by meansof a beltf36, connecting a pulley37 on the shaft 28 with the pulley 38 ofthe conveyer' 35.

The j eonveyer 30 isy necessarily "some `,distance above the earth-surface, and in order to hold earth in the pockets of the conveyer from ythe point wherethe conveyer passes out of the ditch to' the point where the earth'car? 'ried by the conveyer is'thrown upwardly upon theunder surface of Ethe belt conveyer 30 it is l necessary to provide some means forpreventing,` the earthiat this point from moving forvclose lto theA front ends of the bladesV 22 at the wardly, and we have provideda guide-plate39, 'supported by the arms 15' 'andsh'apedto stand fantome-ieg', asslwwnin Fig* 1? and this [guid'efpllate `extends from a pointadjaeent to the yearth -surface upwardly and then forwardly and upwardly'to av 'point adjacent to the front end of the eonveyer-belt 30.

earth'that may adhere to the conveyer-belt 30 and discharging it upon the laterallc'onveyer 35Yasv follows:

The numeral 40 indicates a` scraperfplate and defiector supported on `the and said plate inclinesl downwardly and rearwardly to a point above the lateral con veyer 35.

In practical use and assuming that the apparatus is in the position shown in Fig. 1 and assuming, further, that power is applied to the shaft 28 to drive the digging and conveying chains at a relatively high rate of speed, then the cutting-blades 22 of each plate 20 will, when passing around the sprocket-wheels 18, engage the earth at the lower forwari'l portion of the sprocket-wheels 18 and eut into ita shortdistance. They are prevented from cu ttinginto the earth beyond a limited amonntbe- 'cause the rear ends ofthe adjacent plates 20 vlimit the distance they may enter the earth. Then as the plates 2O leavea position adjacent to 'the sprocket-wheels 18, their rear faces slide upon the 'front face of the leg 12 and are 'thereby heldin line with each other during the upward portion of their movement. rlhe pockets formed by the part 21 of one blade andthe plate 2O above it are gradually filled during this upward movement. When the earth carried bythe plates 20 passes above the yearth-surface, it is held from moving forwardly by the guide-plate 39. ',lhe upper end of this guide-plate 39 is inclined fornuirdly, so thatwhen the rear ends of the plates 20 begin to m'ove forwardly on account of the chains traveling over the upper sprocket-wheels 17 they will notbe interfered with andthe earth contained in the pocket will be thrown npwardly on account of the speed of the conveyer and forwardly by the rear ends of the plates being forced forwardly and upwardly as they pass over the upper siinoclret-wheels. The forward faces of the curved portion 21 are scraped and cleaned by the rear ends of the plates 20 as they pass over the upper sprocket-wheels. A eonveyer-belt 30 is arranged in position so that earth thrown npwardly from the plates 2() will strike it and the earth will be given a rearward movement. `Anyearth that may adhere to the belt 30 will be scraped from it by the scraper-blzule at() vand will be discharged downwardly and rearwardly and discharged upon the top of the :lateral conveyer 35, where it is moved to a pointat one side of the ditch. By the arrangement of the plates 20 with their euived ends 21 it' is obvious that the ditching` device may be used effectively in earth of a wet and sticky nature. le have found that by running'the chains'19 at a relatively high rate of speed centrifugal force is sufficient to discharge wet and sticlry'earth from the fiat portions of the plates 20, while the scraping movement of the Wehave also provided means for removing surface of the supporting-leg, because the leg IOO serves to hold the plates in their proper path and there is less wearon the parts and less friction than if the sprocket-chains themselves engaged the legs.

Having thus described l we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patkent of the United States therefor, is

plate in the rear when the travelingsupport i yis traveling around a curve.

3. The combination with a flexible traveling support, of a plate secured` thereto and formed with a flat body portion and an outwardly and forwardly inclined blade atlits front end relative to its line of advance.

4. The combination with aiiexible traveling support, of a number of plates secured thereto each comprising a body portion'substa'ntially parallel with the support and an outwardly and forwardly inclined blade at the front end of the body portion relative to its lline of advance.

5. The combination of a iiexible traveling support at one point moving in a straight line l and atanother point moving around a curve and a number of flat plates secured tothe conveyer each formed with an outwardly and for- War'dly inclined blade and its front end relative to its line of advance, the'rear end of one plate standing close `to the forward end of the adjacent plate and automatically moved across the forward end of the adjacent plate when the conveyer moves around the'curve.

6. vThe combination of a flexible support, means for supporting and driving the iiexible support arranged to hold the support in a straight line at one point and on a curve at another pointand a number of plates secured to the flexible support each formed with an outwardly and forwardly projecting blade at its front end relative to its line of advance, the

flat plates coacting with'the blades to form a carrying-pocket when traveling over the straight portion and the said plates serving as Scrapers to automatically discharge the contents of the pocket when traveling around the curved portion.

7 The combination of a leg,a flexible-traveling support, means for directing the support to travel around the leg and plates formed with cutting and carrying devices vSecured to said traveling support and sliding along the face of the leg at one point.

8. The combination of a iiexible traveling support, means for directing the support atl one point von a straight line and at another our invention, whatv point on a c u rved line, a cutting-blade secured to the support and projected outwardly and forwardly relative to its line of advance and a plate secured tothe support with its rear end adjacent to the blade, said parts proportioned lso that the plate moves across the adjacent face of the blade toward its outer end when the support begins to travel around .the curved portion of its path.

'9. The combination of a flexiblesu'pport, a relatively small wheel supporting it at one end, a relatively large wheel supporting it at its other end,-a plate secured to the conveyer adjacent to the rear end of the plate and curved outwardly and forwardly relative to the line of advance of the conveyer.

10. The combination of two sprocketvwheels,` a sprocket-chain traveling around them, a blade carried b v the chain projecting outwardly and forwardly relative to its line of advance and a plate secured to the chain with its Vrear end adjacent to the front end of the following plate.

v 11. The combination of two sprocketwheels, asprocket-chain passing around them, a plate fixed near its lforward end to a link of the chain, a blade carried by the forward end of the plate and projecting forwardly and out-V wardly'and a second plate'tiXed to a link of the chain with its rear end adjacent to the front end of the blade.

12. The combination of a leg,'two sprocketwheels mounted at opposite ends of the leg, a sprocket-chain traveling around said wheels and adjacent'to one face -of the leg and a number of plates secured to the links of the chain, each formed with a blade at its front end, said `plates engaging one face of the leg between plate iiXed to one lin-k of the chain 'and projecting over the adjacentlink thereof, a blade carried by the forward end of the plate and projecting outwardly and forwardly and a second plate secured to aflink of the chain projecting over the adjacent link with its rear end extending across to the rear face of the blade. A

14. The combination of two sprocket-chains side by side, a-plate fixed to two adjacent sideby-side-links'of said chains and projected over two adjacent side-by-side links of the chains, a blade carried by the plate and projectingv outwardly and forwardly from its front end, a second plate fXedto two adjacent side-byside links of the chains projecting over two adjacent sidc-by-side links of the chains and hav-l ing its rear end close to the front end of the blade.

15. The combination of a leg having a iiat face, two sprocket-wheels on opposite sides of said flat face, sprocket-chains carried by said Ioo l 16. rlhe combination of a leg having a flat face, sprocket-wheels supported at the ends of the leg on opposite sid es thereof, two sprocketchains passing' around said sprocket-wheels, a number of plates each secured to adjacent links of both chains and a blade projected outwardly and forwardly from the `trent end of each plate, said plates arranged to engage and i be guided b y one face of the log.

17. The Combination of a legl having a iiat face, sprocket-wheels supliorted at the ends ol the leg on opposite sides thereof, two sproelietchains passing around said si'irocket-wheels, a number of plates each secured to adjacent links of both Chains and a blade projected ontwardly and forwardly from the front end ot' each plate, said plates arranged to engage and be guided by one 'tace of the leg, the sprocketwheels at one end of the leg of materially larger diameter than those at the other end.

18. In a ditching-machine, the combination of a co'nveyer having pockets and designed to enter a ditch and extend out of the top ot' the ditch, means for driving the conveyer at a relatively high speed and a belt above the top o the conveyer designed to receive discharge from the pockets against its under portion, means for driving its under portion upwardly and rearwardly to a point of discharge.

19. ln a ditching-machine. the eombinaiion ot' a eonveyer having poekels and designed lo enter a ditch and extend out ol' theI top ol' the, ditch, means for driving the conve'ver at a relatively high speed anda belt above the lop ol the eenveyer designed to receivedischarge from the pockets against its under portion, means lor driving its under portion up\\'ardly and rearwardly to a point el: discharge and a stationary cleaning-plate engaging the under surface of the said belt near its discharge end.

20. Vln a ditchingnmehine, the eombination ol a coilvever having pockets and designed lo enter aditch and extend outol the top el the ditch, means for driving the eonveyer at a relatively high speed and a beltabove the iop ot' the conveyer designed to reeeire dischargey from the pockets against its under portion` means lordriving its under portion upwardly and rearwardly to a pointol discharge, a slationary cleaning-plate engaging' l he under snrface olE the said belt near its discharge end and a late al cmiveyer receiving the discharge from the cleaning-plate.

JOIIN FOS'IIGh. Cl-IARLES F. FOS'IICH. Vitncsses:

T. H. MiNnie, AN'roN Dmacmi.. 

